Bryan Lathrop

Bryan Lathrop (August 6, 1844 – May 13, 1916) was an American businessman and art collector from Alexandria, Virginia, United States. He is known for his works in Chicago, Illinois, where his insurance and real estate dealings made him very wealthy. Lathrop had a lifelong interest in the arts, supporting several Chicago institutions and rallying for an extension to Lincoln Park. He was also the longtime president of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Graceland Cemetery. He was the brother-in-law of Marshall Field and Thomas Nelson Page. Early life Bryan Lathop was born on August 6, 1844, to Jedediah Hyde Lathrop and Mariana Lathrop in Alexandria, Virginia. His family was prominent in the state; he descended from John Lothropp and was the grand-nephew of Governor James Barbour. He was grandson of Daniel Bryan Lathrop attended the Dinwiddie School, intending to enroll at the University of Virginia. However, with the outbreak of the American Civil War, Lathrop moved with his pro-Union family to Chicago, Illinois, home of his uncle, Thomas Barbour Bryan. Lathrop's parents sent him to study in Europe under private tutelage during the war. Here, Lathrop gained an appreciation of art and culture. Lathrop returned to Chicago in 1865.